


you keep on falling (baby, figure it out)

by crusheddaisypetals



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, One Shot, Teen Angst, chase atlantic - Freeform, teen drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25112059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crusheddaisypetals/pseuds/crusheddaisypetals
Summary: Landon Kirby has been dead for six months. In the wake of his death, Hope Mikaelson and Josie Saltzman grew closer, but not close enough; as Hope is beginning to lose herself.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 84





	you keep on falling (baby, figure it out)

**Author's Note:**

> TW: **there is light (teen) drinking involved** 
> 
> i listened to falling by chase atlantic on repeat while i wrote this, so that’s what this au is based off of. i’m not sure how satisfied i am with this one shot, but i hope y’all enjoy it.
> 
> i have twitter if you want to follow me it’s @ crusheddpetals

It had been six months since Landon had died. 

Six. 

Hope had almost retreated back into herself out of fear of letting anyone else get close to her. 

That didn’t work - it failed in all honesty. 

Hope Mikaelson, while mourning her boyfriend, had grown closer to Josie Saltzman - the siphoner who had managed to steal her heart over time since the two met. 

The stolen glances, the wrongly timed crushes, them simply holding hands for spells. 

After losing seemingly everybody, Josie was still there. Yet, a part of Hope was scared of losing Josie. So instead, Hope chose to get lost in herself. 

Josie hadn’t noticed it right away - Hope’s drinking. 

It wasn’t entirely obvious truth be told, one would have to pay close attention to detail to notice something was off with Hope. 

And Josie didn’t just pay attention to details, she paid attention to Hope because she loved her. 

Josie hesitated as she opened the door to Hope and Alyssa’s shared dorm room. 

Alyssa Chang was having a closer eye kept on her, so as a result, she had been moved out of Hopes’ dorm. 

When Josie had seen Alyssa with her boxes as she walked out of Hopes’ dorm in the opposite direction - she had been relieved. 

Josie wasn’t the jealous type and besides, how could she be jealous over someone who wasn’t even hers to call “my girlfriend”? 

Josie bit down on her lower lip as she glanced down at the velvet box in her hands before opening the door and shutting it behind her. 

Josie quickly set the velvet box down on a nightstand as she rushed over to Hope on her bed and pried the bottle from her hand. 

“Hope, what are you doing?” Josie spoke softly, yet firmly as she set the bottle a little away from her on the floor as she tried to prop Hope up with pillows. 

“Teen drinking is normal, Josette.” 

Josie scrunched her nose up at the smell of alcohol radiating from Hope. She hated how her full name rolled off Hopes’ drunken tongue. 

“Binge drinking isn’t.” Josie muttered, satisfied with Hope being propped up in her bed now. 

Josie maneuvered herself off her knees and onto the bed, sitting across from Hope. 

Josie reached out to take Hopes’ hand but Hope recoiled away from Josie before their hands could even brush one another. 

Josie knitted her eyebrow in confusion, her dark eyes set with sadness and confusion. 

“What’s going on, Hope?” Josie inquired softly, finding herself playing with an opal ring on her middle finger as she spoke. 

“I just,” Hope began her slurred words interrupted by a hiccup. 

“-everyone in my life always seems to die you know. My mom, my dad, my uncle...Landon. I’m tired of people around me dying or abandoning me.” 

Josie wanted to reach out for Hopes’ hand in that moment, but she resisted. Instead she nodded as she listened to Hopes’ drunken rant before beginning to speak. 

“I would never abandon you, Hope. You couldn’t pay me to abandon you-“

Josie paused as she stopped playing with her ring to gently place a hand on Hopes’ knee. 

“-but I can’t stand by and watch you destroy yourself slowly. I’ve known something has been wrong for a while but I didn’t know what and now I do and...I don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do.”

Josies’ rambling came to a stop as she felt the warmth of Hopes’ hand on top of her own. 

“You can show me what’s in that box you got me.” 

The auburn haired teen was slowly sobering up in Josies’ presence which gave the siphoner some form of comfort, but not entirely. 

Josie nodded before standing up and walking over to the nightstand and grabbing the small velvet box. 

Josie sat back down on the bed and handed Hope the box with a soft, sad smile that had made it way on her lips. 

Hope opened the box before offering a soft chuckle and a smile rose on her lips. 

The same smile Josie had fallen in love with, but when Josie tried to meet her eyes there was a sadness, an emptiness to them that once hadn’t been there. 

How long had Hope stopped being Hope? 

“I love the necklace, thank you, but what’s the occasion?” 

“Aquamarine. It’s aquamarine and it is a symbol of hope and since you haven’t been yourself lately, I figured you needed a beacon of hope. Especially since I can’t seem to give you that.” 

A frown set on both girls lips and Hope reached out for Josies’ hand and after a moment, Josie accepted it. 

“I’ll get this under control Josie, I promise. I’m just…” Hopes’ voice trailed off as she struggled to find any words. Hope was just sad and the only time she truly wasn’t sad was when she was with Josie. 

But now Josie was sad being with Hope because she wasn’t herself. 

“Maybe you need space.” Josie suggested softly, which is something she shouldn’t have said. That was evident as the velvet box was shut loudly as Hope stood up as quickly as she could without getting a headache. 

“Didn’t you just hear me? I’m tired of being abandoned!” 

“I’m not abandoning you, Hope. I would never do that! I just can’t watch the person I’m in love with destroy herself! Because it hurts, it hurts so much and I would rather watch you from afar than be right by your side as you destroy yourself.” 

Their screaming match had been over just as quickly as it started, seeing as Hope was at a loss for words. 

“You’re in love with me?” Hope questioned softly, her light eyes searching Josie for a few moments. 

Josie sighed as she stood up from the bed and reached over and grabbed the velvet box off the bed. 

The brunette carefully opened it and took the necklace out of the box before gently placing it in Hope's hand. 

“I’ve always been in love with you, Hope. And that will never change. Hope, you’re falling and you need to figure yourself out before anything else can happen.” 

Josie spoke softly as she glanced down at the necklace before locking eyes with Hope. 

Josie leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Hopes’ cheek before offering a sad smile. 

“I’ve always been your friend and I’ve always cared and loved you. That’ll never change. I’ll be here for you, once you’ve figured yourself out. I just know I’m not the person who can help you through this, as much as I want to be.”

With those parting words, Josie walked towards the door. She paused at the door knob when she heard Hope call her name. 

“I’m in love with you too, Jo.” 

Josie turned around at those seven words and her smile changed from being sad to being a happy one. But that happiness was fleeting. 

Josie turned back around once more before shutting the door behind her and quickly running down the hall; she had to in order to ensure she wouldn’t just run back into Hope's room and stay with her. 

It hurt Josie, the whole situation hurt Josie. Josie knew drinking was only a small part of what was going on with Hope. And unfortunately, Hope needed a bit of self discovery - something Josie simply couldn’t be apart of. 

Hope sighed quietly as she looked at the necklace and got in her bed. 

Once Hope was under her bed covers, she continued to study the necklace Josie had gotten her. 

It was simple, yet beautiful. 

“Aquamarine,” Hope mumbled before a smile spread on her face. 

“March. Aquamarine. It’s your birthstone.” Hope spoke softly, as if Josie was in the room and could still hear her. 

Hope sat up slightly as she put the necklace on herself and once she did, she thumbed at the small gemstone hanging on her neck. 

“I’ll figure myself out, Jo, I promise.” 


End file.
